Bearing



June 18, 1935. H. R. LQNTZ l 2,005,502

BEARING FiledMaICh 14, 1954 Patented June 18, 1,935

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Y 2,005,502 n j BEARING Harry R. Lontz, Richmond, Ind., assignorto The & N. Lawn Mower Company, Richmond, Ind., a corporation of Delawarel ,Abpiication Mai-ch 14, 1934, seria; N0. 715,538 jiciaims. (ci. 30s-197) with the bearing members to takeup any lostv motion therebetween but also grips the shaft or other supporting member, when a proper bearing pressure has been obtained, to prevent the force of the spring from, being exerted on the bearing itself. .In this form of bearing, the resilient bearing sleeve is preferably mounted directly upon the shaft while the rotatable race member of the bearing telescopes over the sleeve, both the sleeve and race member being connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and longitudinal movement relative thereto by means of a pin passing through a hole in the shaft withrits ends engaging longitudinal slots formed in both the sleeve and the race member. l

The sleeve of such a bearing is substantially frusto-conical in shape and is formed with a relatively thin wall which is rendered resilient by the provision of a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal slots therein. These slots are arranged in pairs diametrically opposite one another so that when the retaining pin is driven through the shaft both ends thereof will engage slots in the sleeve. The rotatable race member is alsoprovided with at least one pair of diametrically opposite slots for the` same purpose.

After bearings of this character had been in use for a substantialperiod of time, it was found that a number of the instances of bearing trouble occurring during service were directly traceable to the splitting-or breaking of the resilient bearing sleeve at the time when the-retaining pin was driven into place during the assembly of the bearing. Inassembling these bearings, theuslots on one side of the sleeve and rotatable race member could be carefully alined with the hole in the shaft through which the pin was to extend, but the passageof the latter through the slots on the other side would be blind. Consequently, in some instancesthe pin would strike the edge of one of the thinwalled sections of the slotted sleeve and crack or breakfthe sleeve, a defect which would not be discovered until some time after the mower was placed in service.

It was rst proposed to remedy this dimculty by entirely .omittingthe retaining'pin and` relying upon the frictional engagement between the shaft and split sleeve, and between the sleeve and rotatable race member, to maintain these three elements in their proper, relatively non-rotatable assemblage. However, thisrexpedient proved impracticable because dirt and other foreign matter would nd its way into the bearing and bind the parts, whereupon the shaft would turn within the sleeve, or the sleeve within the race member, resulting in cutting of the shaft and the equivalent of lost motion in the bearing.

-It is therefore one of the vobjects of the present invention toprovidean improved self adjusting bearing of this character wherein the resilient sleeve and rotatable race member are xed to the shaft for rotation therewith by novel retaining means the use of which in no way endangers the strength of said parts.

Another object is to provide new and improved means for fixing the sleeve and rotatable bearing race of a lawn mower bearing tothe shaft thereof in non-rotatable but axially movable relationship, which means are extremelysimple in structure and require engagement of said elements at but one point inv their peripheries,v thereby avoiding thedefects of the devices hitherto known and used in the practical art. l

l A `further object is to provide novel retaining means for the elements of a selfadjusting bearing `which render assembly of the bearing an easier and quicker procedure than heretofore and also avoid any possibility of injury to the parts during such assembly. v V

These and other objects will appear more fully from a consideration of the detailed description of the invention which follows.`

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a partial plan view of a lawn mower embodying one form of bearing including the present invention, some of the parts being broken away for purposes of clearer illustration;

Fig. 2 is anenlarged side view of the bearing of Fig. 1, partly in section; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective viewshowing the several parts of the bearing of Fig. 2 pulled out or extended one from another so as to more `clearly indicate the detailed construction of each.`

Referring now to Fig. 1, the reference character 4 indicates one of the side frames of `a lawn mower in which is journalled in a bearing 5 of any suitable construction a ground wheel 6. Side Ycutting device.

frame 4 is shown connected with the opposite side frame (not shown) by a connecting rod 1, while between the two side frames is supported the usual ground roller 8.

The rotary cutter blades 9 of the mower are suitably secured at each end to a hub III, the latter being fixedly secured in any desired manner to a shaft-II.v Each end of shaft II is journalled in one of side frames vlin a self adjusting bearing, indicated'generally at I2, embodying the present invention. Shaft II may be driven from ground wheel 6 by means of an internal annular gear I3 carried by said ground wheel and a pinion I4 which meshes with said gear and is so mounted on the end of shaft II as to-be drivingly connected therewith when rotated in one direction but freely rotatable relative thereto in the other direction. In the form shown, a pawl I5 is mounted in a recess at the end of shaft II and positioned to engage suitable teeth formed on the interior of. the hub of pinion I4, driving engagement between said teeth and the pawl taking place only when the pinion is rotated in one direction.

Referring now more particularlyto Figs. 2 and 3, the improved bearing of the present invention comprises, in its preferred form, a rotatable bearing member I6, preferably constituting the inner raceway of a ball bearing, an outer bearing member or raceway I1 which is fixed within a boss I8 formedin side frame 4, and a plurality of friction reducing members or balls I9 which are maintained in properly separated and controlled positions between raceways I6 and I1 by a suitable cage 20. Both the inner surface and the outer bearing surface of member I6 are frusto-conical in shape, the convergence of said surfaces being toward the outer end of shaft I I.

Interposed between shaft I I and rotatable bearing member I6 is a resilient sleeve 2| comprising a collapsible body of relatively thin metal having an inner cylindrical surface adapted to frictionally engage the surface of shaft I I and an outer frusto-conical surface adapted -to similarly engageI the inner surface of bearing member I6. The inner cylindrical surface of sleeve 2I is provided by a continuous hub or collar 22 which closely fits shaft II, while the resiliency of the main body portion of the sleeve is provided by a plurality of clrcumferentially spaced slots 23 which preferably extend the entire length thereof and for a short distance into the collar 22. In the present invention it is not essential that the slots 23 be arranged in pairs diametrically opposite to one another as was necessary in the prior structures above referred to.

Sleeve 2I is preferably machined out of a relatively hard metal, for example steel, the slots 23 being formed therein by any suitable metal The outer surface of said sleeve is also preferably provided, intermediate the ends of the slots. therein, with a circumferential groove or channel 24 formed by cutting a recess therein. The outer bearing surfaces of said sleeve, extending from the groove or channel 24 to the ends of the sleeve, preferably have a total area greater than the area of said groove, the width of groove 24 being less than the combined width of the outer bearing surfaces bounding said groove and preferably less than one-half the length of the outer frusto-conical surface of the sleeve. The arms or sections of the sleeve formed by slots 23 thus have outer bearing surfaces extending over more than one-half the length of said arms, the total area of these surfaces being greater than the area of groove 24.

The said sleeve is rendered flexible or resilient because of the slots formed therein, and is adapted to firmly grip the shaft II upon the application of a slight inward pressure to the outer surface thereof.

Closely fitting the collar 22 of sleeve 2l is a ring or thimble 25, while in engagement with hub I0 is an annular cup-shaped casing 26 which is so formed as to extend outwardly over and enclose thimble 25 and portions of sleeve 2I and rotatable bearing member i6. Preferably, bearing member I6 is provided with an inwardly projecting iiange portion 21 having acylindrical surface with which theouter edge of lcasing 2S has frictional engagement. Positioned within casing 26, and interposed'betweena fiange 28 formed on `thimble 2S and the inner wall of casing 26, is a coiled cornpression spring 29. lThis spring, acting through thimble 25 and sleeve 2 I, serves to move the bearing member I6 outwardly into firm engagement with the bearing balls I9`thereby continually adjusting the bearing members to their proper op'- erative -positions and compensating for wear therein. The construction of sleeve 2l is such that it prevents the spring 29 from exerting too great a pressure on bearing member I6. As previously stated, the sleeve tends to firmly grip the shaft I I when pressure is applied to its outer surface; and the 'result is that, as soon as spring 29 acts, its pressure is applied not only to the bearing member I6 but also by reaction to the outer surface of the sleeve,` thus causing the sleeve to grip the shaft and limit further movement. By forming the sleeve with the circumferential groove 24, the 'air pocket provided thereby effectively prevents any tendency of the sleeve'to adhere to the inner conical surface of bearing member I6 and thus insuresthat the device shall perform its gripping function.

For successful operation of a bearing of this character, it is necessary that sleeve 2I and bearing member I6 both be capable of longitudinal Awere adapted to register with two of slots 23 formed in sleeve 2|, and by driving a pin entirely through the shaft and through all four of thel alined slots. However, as has previously been pointed out, in assembling a bearing of this construction it was necessary to ldrive the pin through the shaft blindly, and in some instances the pin would strike against the edges of the relatively thin arms or sections of sleeve 2I on the far side of the shaft and would split or break the same. In the present invention, all danger of such splitting or breaking is avoided by using retaining means which engage the bearing member I6 and sleeve 2I at one point only in their peripheries and which do not require the passage of a pin entirely through the shaft. 'f In the form shown, the flange portion 21 of bearing member I5 is provided with a lsuitabler radial hole 30 which is adapted to receive a relatively short retaining pin 3l, the latter being adapted to pass through one of 'grooves 23 in sleeve 2| and to engage at its inner end in anl elongated, axially extending groove 32 formed'ln the surface of shaft II. With this construction, pin 3| engages the relatively fragile sleeve 2l at only one point in its periphery, and all danger of injury to said sleeve during assembly is avoided since hole 30 may be quickly and accurately alined with one of grooves 23 and with groove 32 of shaft Il, whereupon pin 3l may be easily driven into place through openings in the various members which it is known are in alinement.

VThere is thus provided by the present invention a new and improved arrangement for assembling and maintaining the elements of a self adjusting bearing in their proper relationship, which arrangement is extremely simple in structure and avoids the known defects of devices of the same general character heretofore in use. Not only do the novel retaining means of the present invention constitute the solution to a long standing problem in the practical art, but they also provide a bearing which can be assembled more easily and quickly than theV construction upon which it is an improvement.

While, for the purpose of illustration, one em-Y bodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact structure disclosed but is capable of a variety of mechanical embodiments. Likewise, although the disclosure has been specifically directed to a bearing for the shaft of the rotating cutting mechanism of a lawn mower, it is obvious that the invention is not limited to this use, but that the improved bearing may be used in association with the ground wheels of a mower as well, or wherever else a self adjusting bearing of this character is suitable. Reference is therefore to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a self adjusting bearing for a rotatable member of the type including a ilxedv bearing member, a rotatable bearing member, a spring adapted to move said rotatable bearing member relatively to said xed bearing member and a resilient sleeve interposed between said spring and said rotatable bearing member for controlling the application of power of said spring, means engaging said rotatable member, sleeve and rotatable bearing member at one point only in their respective peripheries for connecting said members together for rotation as a unit, said means being so constructed and arranged that said rotatable bearing member and sleeve are also capable of movement axially with respect to said rotatable member and to one another during operation under the action of said spring.

2. In a self adjusting bearing for a rotatable member' of the type including a fixed bearing member, a rotatable bearing member, a spring adapted to move said rotatable bearing member relatively to said fixed bearing member and a resilient sleeve interposed between said spring and said rotatable bearing member for controlling the application of power of said spring, means for connecting said sleeve and rotatable bearing member to said rotatable member for both rotation therewith and axial movement relatively thereto and to each other during operation comprising an axially extending groove formed in said rotatable member, an axially extending slot formed in said sleeve, and aretaining member carried by said rotatable bearing member and engaging both said slot and said groove.

3. In a self adjusting bearing for a shaft of the type including a iixed bearing member, a rotatable bearing member, a spring adapted to move said rotatable bearing member relatively to said fixed bearingY member and a resilient sleeve interposed between said spring and said rotatable bearing member for controlling the application of power of said spring, means for connecting said sleeve and rotatable bearing member to said shaft for both rotation therewith and axial movement relatively thereto and to each other during operation comprising an axially extending groove formed in the periphery of said shaft, an axially extending slot formed in said sleeve, and a retainingmember radially movable but otherwise fixed with respect to said rotatable bearing member and engaging both said slot and said groove.

4. In a self adjusting bearing for a shaft of the type including a fixed bearing member, a rotatable bearing member, a spring adapted to move said rotatable bearing member relatively to said fixed bearing member and a resilient sleeve interposed between said spring and said rotatable bearing member for controlling the application of power of said spring, means for connecting said sleeve and rotatable bearing member to said shaft for both rotation therewith and axial movement relatively thereto and to each other during operation comprising an axially extending groove formed in the periphery of said shaft, a plurality of circumferentially spaced, axially extending slots formed in said sleeve, a radially extending hole formed in said rotatable bearing member, and a relatively short pin extending through both said hole and one of said slots and having its inner end engaged in said groove.

HARRY R. LONTZ. 

